APPLETON – The suspected gunman who died in a shootout that also killed an Appleton firefighter was a convicted felon with a history of weapons possession charges, court records show.

The violence in Appleton unfolded Wednesday afternoon at the Valley Transit Center after paramedics responded to a medical call for a 47-year-old man, whom Appleton police identified Friday as Ruben Houston III of Wausau. The situation escalated, Appleton Police Chief Todd Thomas said, and shots were exchanged between Houston, who had a handgun, and Appleton police officers.

Houston and 36-year-old Appleton firefighter Mitchell F. Lundgaard were killed. Paul Christensen, an Appleton police officer, and Brittany L. Schowalter, a 30-year-old bystander, were injured. Christensen was released from the hospital Thursday and Schowalter was still recovering from her injuries at a local hospital Friday, police said.

Authorities have released few details about what led to the shooting, but Houston’s criminal record in Wisconsin shows convictions for firearms possession, drug possession and other felonies dating back to 1990.